The Orlova Chuka Cave is located in a beautiful natural park, and features both interesting speleology (stalagmites, stalactites, draperies etc.) and archaeological finds from the Bronze Age, as well as more recent discoveries from the Thracian and Roman eras.
The cave was discovered accidentally by a shepherd in 1941. It has been available for visitors since 1959, and new chambers are constantly being discovered. With a total length of 13,155 meters, the cave is the second largest in Bulgaria, only after the Duhlata cave located near the town of Pernik.
Today, visitors can only see the top floor of the cave, which is about three kilometers long. The temperature in the cave is a constant 14 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Visitors can see valuable items, such as bones of bears, wolves and deer, as well as ancient spearheads and knives, which indicate human presence in the cave during the Neolithic era.
The cave also has very beautiful formations. In particular the “Big Stalactite”, with a height of 3.5 meters and a diameter of 50 centimeters is located in the “Concert Hall” chamber, where sounds resembling musical instruments can be heard. Perhaps the most interesting is the “Spring” chamber. Legends say that those who drink water from this spring will be granted one wish. In addition, if you look carefully on the walls of the cave, you will see many figures.
The cave is inhabited year-round by 10,000 bats. You can get close to them and even touch them, but be careful because if you wake them up it could be fatal for them, depending on the weather. All of these species are protected by law, as they are conducive to agriculture. Once you exit the cave you can climb the cliff and enjoy some superb views of the park.
Cave
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Dve Moguili